Coffee Addicts, Unite

Coffee: A Habit that Might be Good for YouCoffee is habit-forming, but it might also be good for you. The brew is rich in antioxidants, and recent medical studies have found that coffee drinking is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes. Dr. Sydney Spiesel, a professor at Yale Medical School, drinks four to six cups of coffee a day. And that’s OK with him … Listen to the segment.

Lieberman’s Loss and Future of Democratic PartyIn the 2000 election, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., was on the brink of becoming vice president. But on Tuesday, Connecticut Democrats bounced him from their party’s ticket in favor of political newcomer Ned Lamont, in large part because of Lieberman’s continued support of President Bush’s Iraq war policy. Lieberman is vowing to run as an Independent. John Dickerson talks with Alex Chadwick and Madeleine Brand about what Lieberman’s loss says about the direction of the Democratic Party. Listen to the segment.

Fighting Could Undercut Hezbollah’s Political GoalsSome Muslim opinion leaders argue that Hezbollah’s war with Israel may ultimately undercut the radical Shiite group’s political goals. Michael Young—also the opinion editor for the Daily Star, an English-language newspaper published in Lebanon—talks with Madeleine Brand about the political fallout from the monthlong battle. Listen to the segment.

Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006

Justice Kennedy and the Meaning of FreedomU.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke over the weekend at an annual meeting of the American Bar Association about the meaning of the word freedom. Dahlia Lithwick, who was at the meeting and heard the speech, discusses Kennedy’s influence on legal and political discourse with Alex Chadwick. Listen to the segment.